The present invention relates to a method for operating a fuel tank system for a motor vehicle and to a fuel tank system.
The following discussion of related art is provided to assist the reader in understanding the advantages of the invention, and is not to be construed as an admission that this related art is prior art to this invention.
A fuel tank system is, for example, associated with or is a part of the motor vehicle. The fuel tank system serves to temporarily store fuel, which is used, for example, to perform a driving operation of the motor vehicle, in particular when using an internal combustion engine. The fuel tank system includes the fuel tank, in which the fuel can be temporarily stored. The fuel tank includes the accumulation tank, which is suitably located inside the fuel tank, in particular at a bottom of the fuel tank.
The suction side of the fuel pump, which is used for pumping fuel from the fuel tank, is connected to the accumulation tank. For example, the fuel is conveyed in the direction of the internal combustion engine by the fuel pump. The accumulation tank, which can also be referred to as a surge tank, is used to collect fuel at a location of the fuel tank where the fuel is to be withdrawn by the fuel pump. Using the accumulation tank therefore ensures that fuel can be withdrawn even when only a small quantity of fuel remains in the fuel tank, in particular for operating the internal combustion engine.
It would be desirable and advantageous to address prior art shortcomings and to provide an improved method for operating a fuel tank system for a motor vehicle, to enable reliable pumping fuel from the fuel tank after the fuel tank is filled with a comparatively small quantity of fuel after having been completely emptied.